Jinan-Sacramento Sister Cities Corporation

What Jinan-Sacramento Sister Cities Corporation does

Jinan-Sacramento Sister Cities Corporation (JSSCC) is a Sacramento-headquartered non-profit 501(c)(3) founded on October 16, 1984 via Sacramento City Resolution, operating under sponsorship of the Office of the Mayor of Sacramento (which provides no direct funding). Per its mission, JSSCC fosters mutual understanding, cultural awareness, and friendship between the people of Sacramento, California and Jinan, Shandong Province, PRC through cultural, academic, and economic exchanges. The organization is led by a 21-member volunteer board under President Grace Liu, who founded the Youth Ambassador Program in 2006, and operates within a network that includes Sister Cities International, the Jinan Foreign Affairs Office, Sacramento Youth Symphony, California State University Sacramento, Shandong University, and a portfolio of Greater Sacramento-area schools.

JSSCC's portfolio consists of six core programmatic lines: the Youth Ambassador Program (subsidized, scholarship-supported K-12 student and teacher exchanges with home-stay immersion), the Peace Messenger Program (annual contest reaching thousands of Jinan students whose winning poems are engraved at Martin Luther King's World Peace Rose Garden), the annual Harvest Moon Festival at CSUS, a Student Ambassador Video Contest, biannual Friendship Delegation Trips led by Sacramento elected officials, and Academic Exchange Programs supporting Mandarin immersion and joint music instruction. Distribution is community-driven through WordPress-based website, Twitter, Facebook, email newsletter, school partnerships, and local cultural-event booths (Pacific Rim Fest, Chinese New Year, California Celebration at the Zoo, Chinatown Mall Fair).

The organization's revenue model is donation- and membership-led, comprising individual and corporate membership dues, tax-deductible 501(c)(3) contributions, an annual fundraising banquet, partial-cost youth trip fees, and participant-funded delegation travel to China. Notable programmatic milestones include 110+ Sacramento student ambassadors since 2006, hosting 40 music students from Jinan Children's Palace via Sacramento Youth Symphony since 2010, and the 2020 cross-Pacific donation of 42,500 face masks to Sacramento institutions during the COVID-19 pandemic. JSSCC uses no proprietary technology platform—operations run on WordPress, email, and social media—and discloses neither pricing nor financial statements.

Name

Jinan-Sacramento Sister Cities Corporation

Legal name

Jinan-Sacramento Sister Cities Corporation

Website

https://jsscc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Jinan-Sacramento Sister Cities Corporation is a Sacramento-based 501(c)(3) non-profit, founded in 1984, that runs cultural, academic, and economic exchange programs between Sacramento, California and Jinan, Shandong Province, including a Youth Ambassador Program, Peace Messenger contest, Harvest Moon Festival, and friendship delegations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural Exchange Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAIABAG

Short-Term Exchange & Visiting Student Programs

Education/International Education & Study Abroad/University/College Exchange Programs & Partnerships

Keywords

• Cultural exchange programs
• Sister cities services
• International youth exchanges
• Non-profit cultural programs
• Educational exchange services

Headquarters

HQ city

Sacramento

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual and Corporate Membership Dues: Annual membership fees from individuals and corporations in the Greater Sacramento region. Members receive event invitations, newsletters, and discounts on trips to China.
2. Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals, corporations, and other non-profit organizations. No funding received from Mayor's office despite official sponsorship.
3. Youth Ambassador Program Fees: Subsidized trips to China for students and teachers. While heavily subsidized through scholarships, participants pay partial costs. Includes discounted rates for members.
4. Fundraising Events: Annual fundraising banquet and other community events to support operations and program scholarships.
5. Sponsored Delegation Travel: Biannual friendship trips to China led by Sacramento elected officials, with participants covering travel costs.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

JSSCC operates a portfolio of cultural, academic, and economic exchange programs between Sacramento, California and Jinan, Shandong Province, PRC. Core offerings include the Youth Ambassador Program (scholarship-funded student/teacher trips with homestays), the Peace Messenger Program, the annual Harvest Moon Festival, Student Ambassador Video Contests, biannual friendship delegation trips to China, and academic exchange partnerships with universities and schools.

Product overview

Jinan-Sacramento Sister Cities Corporation operates as a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization focused on cultural, educational, and economic exchange between Sacramento, California and Jinan, Shandong Province, PRC. The organization offers a portfolio of programs including the Youth Ambassador Program (established 2006), Peace Messenger Program, annual Harvest Moon Festival, Student Ambassador Video Contest, Friendship Delegation Trips, and Academic Exchange Programs. These programs are designed to foster mutual understanding, cultural awareness, and friendship through scholarships, subsidized trips, homestays, and cultural events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Youth Ambassador Program Cultural exchange program enabling Sacramento and Jinan students to visit each other's cities, experience homestays with host families, and participate in educational sightseeing. Offers scholarships including the C.J. Deeble and Margaret and John Wong Youth Ambassador Scholarships.
• Peace Messenger Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 110+ students from Greater Sacramento have participated in Youth Ambassador Program since 2006
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Jinan Foreign Affairs Office (JFAO)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1986Interpreters from Jinan Foreign Affairs Office studied English and American culture at California State University Sacramento in 1987 and 1989. Active collaboration on delegations and exchanges since early years of sister city relationship.
• Sister Cities International (SCI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 October 1984JSSCC is affiliated with Sister Cities International, the umbrella organization for sister city partnerships worldwide. The City of Sacramento pays dues to SCI on behalf of JSSCC. Founded in the 1950s under President Eisenhower's people-to-people program.
• Office of the Mayor (Sacramento)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 October 1984Official sponsor of JSSCC through Sacramento Mayor's office. Sister Cities Council meets monthly at City Hall under Mayor's office coordination. Three former Sacramento mayors (Anne Rudin, Joe Serna, Heather Fargo) have led delegations to Jinan.
• Sacramento Youth SymphonycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Sacramento Youth Symphony visited Jinan in 1987 with 90 people (mostly children) performing in Jinan, Shanghai and other cities. Since 2010, program has sponsored 40 music students from Jinan Children's Palace to attend SYS Chamber Music Workshop.
• Sacramento Chinese Culture FoundationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSister organization that assists in carrying out programs and promoting Chinese culture in Sacramento community.
• Chinese New Year Culture AssociationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner organization assisting in cultural programs and events promoting Chinese heritage in Sacramento.
• International World Peace Rose GardenscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Peace Messenger Program - Jinan students participate in Inspiring Peace Messenger Contest. Winning poems engraved at Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park in Atlanta, Georgia.
• California State University Sacramento (CSUS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn 1987 and 1989, JFAO interpreters studied at CSUS. A CSUS professor studied Chinese literature and taught English at Shandong University in 1990. CSUS Capistrano Concert Hall hosts annual Harvest Moon Festival events.
• Shandong UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic exchange partner. A CSUS professor taught English at Shandong University in 1990. Discussion initiated in 2005 for potential exchange program with Medical School of Shandong University and UC Davis Medical Center.
• City of SacramentocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial city sponsor. Received mask donations during COVID-19. JSSCC booth participates in city-sponsored events including Pacific Rim Fest, Chinese New Year Celebration, California Celebration at the Zoo.
• Jinan Municipal People's GovernmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial partner city government in China. Provided funding and 1/3 of mask donation funds during COVID-19. Facilitates delegations and trade fair visits.
• Greater Sacramento Area SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of schools including Grant High School, Kennedy High School, Hiram Johnson High School, Churchill Middle School, Mira Loma High School, Oak Ridge High School, Western Sierra Collegiate Academy. Support/assist efforts to maintain and expand Mandarin language programs.
• William Land Elementary SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDonated Chinese books to Mandarin Immersion program; supporting after-school program to help students with Mandarin homework and parents learn Mandarin.
• University of California at Davis Medical CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPotential medical exchange partner discussed with Shandong University Medical School in 2005.
• Asian Community Center (ACC)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerRecipient of 10,000 masks during COVID-19 donation distribution in May 2020.
• OCA Sacramento - Asian Pacific American AdvocatesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRecipient of mask donations during COVID-19 relief efforts.
• Japanese American Citizen League (JACL)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerRecipient of mask donations during COVID-19 relief efforts.
• Matsuyama-Sacramento Sister City CorporationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRecipient of mask donations during COVID-19 relief efforts.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/JInanSacramento
• Facebookfacebook.com/jinansacramento

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Jinan-Sacramento Sister Cities Corporation